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Roasted Jerk Turkey on a platter ready for Thanksgiving
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Spatchcock Jerk Turkey

Spatchcock Jerk Turkey is jerk marinated turkey roasted to tender perfection in half the time of traditional turkey. It has become my favorite way to prepare Thanksgiving turkey.
Course Keto, Paleo, Whole30
Cuisine Caribbean American
Keyword How to jerk a turkey, How to jerk turkey, How to make jerk turkey, How to spatchcock a turkey, Jerk turkey, Jerk turkey ingredients, Spatchcock Jerk Turkey, Spatchcock turkey, Spatchcock turkey recipe, Thanksgiving turkey
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 619kcal
Author Althea Brown

Equipment

  • Roasting pan
  • Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

  • 1 young turkey 10 to 12 lbs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour use cassava flour, if on Whole30
  • 2 tablespoons butter use ghee if on Whole30

For Dry Rub:

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar skip if on Whole30
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt I use iodized sea salt, you can also use coarse salt

Jerk Marinade:

Instructions

  • Spatchcock the turkey by removing the backbone and pressing flat.
  • Then sprinkle the turkey with flour, let rest for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly. This helps to remove some of the gamey turkey taste.
  • After rinsing pat turkey dry with paper towels and set aside.

Make a dry rub:

  • At brown sugar (skip if on Whole30), garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to a quart size ziplock bag and mix together to make a dry rub.

Season the turkey:

  • Add about 1/2 the dry rub to the underside of the turkey, followed by about 3 tablespoons of the jerk seasoning or 1/2 the batch of my homemade jerk seasoning
  • Then turn turkey breast side up and add remaining dry rub, followed by the remaining jerk seasoning or
    . Be sure to season the neck cavity with dry rub and a generous amount of jerk seasoning.
  • For best results let marinate in the fridge overnight (can marinate for up to 3 days if you like)

Roast/Bake the Turkey:

  • Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking to allow turkey to come to room temperature.
  • Then preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Next place turkey in a large enough roasting pan that allows it to lay flat, breast side up.
  • Then rub two tablespoons of butter or ghee on turkey breasts.
  • Then bake turkey uncover for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices at the half hour mark.
  • Next, after roasting the turkey for an hour, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, baste turkey with the pan juices and cover the turkey with foil wrap,
  • Bake turkey for an additional 30 to 45 minutes at 375°F or until the internal temperature of the turkey is 165°F.
  • Remove turkey from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

1. The longer you marinade the turkey the better it will taste.
2. I prefer Walkerswood jerk seasoning because of it's flavor and thickness. Be careful not to buy the Walkerswood jerk marinade, as it is not the same product and will give a very different flavor.
3. Feel free to wash your turkey before marinating, you can even soak it in lemon juice or try the flour method I mention above in this post.

Nutrition

Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 106g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 304mg | Sodium: 1219mg | Potassium: 1367mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4030IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 7mg